Gulf allies of US fear reprisals after Soleimani killing

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Both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have watched the developments in Iraq over the weekend with great concern, fearing that Iran might respond against US forces on their territory," said Andreas Krieg of King's College London.

The timidity of the American reaction to devastating missile and drone attacks against Saudi oil installations in September led Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to adopt a more conciliatory approach aimed at avoiding confrontation with Iran "at all costs", he said.

Even though the Gulf states are united in condemnation of the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad, "none of them would take the risk at this point of being dragged into this spiral of escalatory violence," Krieg said.

Period	3 Jan 2020
Held at	Agence France Presse